


I is for Infuriating

by Psychodelikas



Series: The Alphabet of Dreams [10]
Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Jared is there to comfort her, The castle is awesome, Vala Needs A Hug, Vala has a breakdown, Zane is a spoiled little brat, but Jared is still a little shit, but Vala still loves her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 13:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12913257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychodelikas/pseuds/Psychodelikas
Summary: “Will there ever come a point when someone will tell me a simple, straight answer?”“Of course,” Jared said like that were the most obvious thing in the world. “The only real problem is whether or not you’re able to accept that what answer you’re given is the truth.”“Then we have a serious problem,” I snapped. “Because yes, I’ve seen what sort of residents you have in here but excuse me if it’s a little hard for me to accept the fact that magic is real!”





	I is for Infuriating

_I am gonna kill him! I am gonna kill him! I am SO going to kill him!_

_…I am going to kill him after I fuck him senseless. I need help!_

I chuckled nervously then angrily pressed my lips into a line as I more or less raced towards the castle.

My more than insane dream had almost made me forget to take the torn sheets with me but I managed to force myself to remember that my parents really didn’t need to know about my nocturnal increase of strength. Especially my Mom. And she always said that I needed to know how to sow so repairing my sheets after dubious dreams seemed like a good way to start. The only problem was that that was the _second_ pair of sheets I had ripped in half. The first one was still in my trunk, alongside the fresh addition.

Despite my abnormal situation, I felt a small amount of panic at the thought that a police car might stop me for speeding. Oddly enough, there was absolutely nobody on the highway or on the road leading to the castle. _Good._

I finally arrived at my destination and slammed my foot on the break. “What the fuck?!” I exclaimed panicked.

There were cars parked _everywhere._ I couldn’t help but stare like a complete moron. Where the hell had all of them come from?! Then I remembered that the inside of the stone structure was also a lot more crowded.

I groaned annoyed then looked around for an available space. The only slot I found was in the _underground_ parking zone. I still wondered how the hell could there have been an underground structure which had completely escaped me in the past. Then a simple answer formed itself in my mind. _Because the castle didn’t think you were ready._

I sighed heavily then exited my car. I locked it, tried to remember as many helping signs as possible then went for the castle.

If outside not a single soul could be seen, inside was the exact opposite. Guests were roaming all over, talking loudly or laughing. I thought I vaguely recognized a few faces from the day before but I really didn’t want to stay for any pleasantries.

As usual, karma had quite a different opinion.

“Vala!”

“You gotta be freakin’ kidding me,” I exclaimed in a low voice then turned around. “Zane?”

There she was, my kooky best friend in the whole world running happily towards me. “Hi!” she exclaimed.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.

“Well, it’s nice to see you too,” she mocked.

“You know what, scratch that,” I corrected myself. “When the hell did you get here?”

“Who, me? Oh, pfffff,” she said silly. “You know, I…” She smiled guilty. “I’ve been here since seven?”

I stared at her blankly. “You what?”

“I couldn’t help myself, okay?” she pleaded. “I mean, come on, Val! This is my wildest dream come true. Did you really expect me _not_ to be here again?”

“Not this soon, no,” I said with a small chuckle then frowned. “What have you been doing since seven?”

She shrugged. “Talking.”

“That’s it?”

“You’d be amazed at what stories I’ve heard!”

I wanted to ask her what she could have possibly heard but then it hit me. “The supernaturals you met yesterday?”

“Yep,” she confirmed. “And before you say anything, yes. I’m well aware most of the stories are bullshit. But the things they say about other supernaturals, Vala, it’s a goldmine!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the childish look in her eyes. “I’m happy for you, I really am.”

“Okay, I’ve told you what I’m doing here,” she said then crossed her arms over her chest. “Your turn.”

“I came here to murder the owner,” I told her nonchalantly.

“Why?”

“Not exactly sure yet.”

“He’s in his study.”

I blinked twice at her. “How do you know that?”

“Because that’s where he told me he’d be after he let me in.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “How did you say you got here, again?”

She smiled silly again. “Will and Chris picked me up then brought me here?” she asked rather than said, a cute little blush on her cheeks.

I smiled at her. “You exchanged numbers yesterday, didn’t you?”

Her smile widened.

“Aw, look how cute you are when you’re blushing!”

“Don’t you have a bloody owner to kill?!”

I laughed whole-heartedly at her remark. However, making my way to said owner proved a little difficult. _A lot_ of people were moving about the place, some either checking in or out, others just wasting time. And space. I had never been happier to see those armors in my life.

When I reached the study door, I heard voices. I hesitated to open the door and glued my ear to it. The only person speaking or rather, shouting was Jared. I couldn’t understand what he was saying but he was angry. Despite the little red lights which had started popping up in my head, I opened the door.

“…and I don’t care just how beneficial it might be, I am _not_ adding _that_ to my castle and that’s the last I’ll ever want to hear about this!” Jared angrily slammed the phone in its receiver. “Business partners,” he answered my unspoken question. “A little piece of advice, Valaria. If you ever wish to start your own business but don’t want to do it alone, make sure the person you start it with isn’t completely living in another reality.”

“So Zane is good business material,” I concluded. “Good to know, good to know.”

Jared laughed at my silly comment, his anger visibly going away. He indicated that I sit down. “I do apologize for my outburst,” he said as he too resumed his seat behind the desk. “I rarely lose my temper like that but…”

He didn’t have to finish. “I understand, believe me, I do. It’s more than annoying to want to do things a certain way because that’s how you feel it’s right then some dumb-dumb comes along and ruins everything.”

“Too right you are,” he said laughing. “Only this time, the dumb-dumb in question happens to have quite the say in how things go around here. And she’s usually right.”

_She…_ I forced myself to get off that ridiculous train of thought. I only smiled sympathetically.

“But I think you’ve come here for a different kind of discussion,” he added, smirking widely.

Just like that, every single thought I had previously had vanished from my mind. I straightened my back. “Yes,” I confirmed a little snappy, my anger and frustration cascading over me all at once. “I would like to know what the hell is going on around here and why am I connected to everything.”

“Those are very good questions to which I have absolutely no answers,” Jared said casually. I stared at him like a moron. He smirked. “It’s quite simple, really.” He extended his arms. “The castle has a mind of its own in matters…too delicate to name at this point in time. I assure you, this isn’t the first time the castle let an outsider into our ranks but that person proved to be more than special. I daresay my stony residence thinks it’s time to add yet another to the fold.”

_Of all the days I don’t have Zane next to me right now…_

I tried my very best not to look at him like he were from a different planet. And that thought seemed more and more likely with each passing second. “Okay,” I said slowly, thinking fast. “Okay, let’s say…I accept that explanation. For now. Can you at least explain to me what the hell happened last night?”

The naughtiest of smirks lit up Jared’s face. “Don’t you mean, what _didn’t_ happen last night?” he said in a low voice, his mismatched eyes burning holes into my very soul.

_M-m-m-mother of God…_ I swallowed hard then nodded slowly.

The son of a bitch smiled with all his teeth at me. “While the complete answer lies in the small category of things which I can’t explain yet, the short answer can be given now.” His smile widened. “We’re connected, my dear Valaria.”

I blinked a few times. “We’re connected?” I repeated. Jared nodded. “Connected how?”

“That I’m not sure of but there can be no doubt about it. I admit, I didn’t know what to make of it when you first started dreaming about me all those long weeks ago.” His smile turned into a smirk and my heart sank. “Now I know for certain that you and I share a connection the likes of which I have only read about.”

I was able to register only one thing. “You’ve had the same dreams I’ve been having?” I asked to my surprise on a calculated voice. The myriad of emotions which were having a heated contest inside my every cell had almost made me yell at him but my rational part had kept my cool.

“Indeed, I have,” he confirmed. “Though I must say. I am extremely surprised that you would dream about me like that, given your first introduction to the castle’s secrets.”

“You and I both,” I mocked before I could stop myself then quickly changed the subject. “Will there ever come a point when someone will tell me a simple, straight answer?”

“Of course,” Jared said like that were the most obvious thing in the world. “The only real problem is whether or not you’re able to accept that what answer you’re given is the truth.”

“Then we have a serious problem,” I snapped. “Because yes, I’ve seen what sort of residents you have in here but excuse me if it’s a little hard for me to accept the fact that magic is real!”

I hadn’t intended to shout that last part but I really didn’t care. My frustration and anger got the best of me and I soon found myself yelling things at Jared that I normally wouldn’t even admit to myself were bothering me.

I yelled at him how unfair life really was because all we ever had of the supernatural were books and movies but in the real world, we had things like science and rational thinking. I yelled at him that my being suddenly thrown into the magical whirlwind that was his castle was at the same time the best and worst thing which had ever happened to me because I had prayed that something as miraculous as the stone castle really existed, despite the fact that it contradicted every logic.

But most importantly, I yelled at him how fundamentally angry I was that my best friend in the whole wide world accepted everything without questioning anything while I was caught between my desperate desire to believe without question and explain every little thing I was seeing and hearing. It wasn’t fair that I was tormented the way I was while Zane took everything as it was and even relished in the wondrous people around her.

I was only a little surprised that after I finished yelling my soul, tears were rolling down my cheeks and I was breathing heavily.

Jared hadn’t interrupted me or even looked like anything I was saying was upsetting him. He got up from his seat and walked over to me. He knelt before me then wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. I didn’t even hesitate and cried on his shoulder like a baby. _God, it feels so good to cry!_

After I had my cry and calmed down, he slowly distanced himself until he could look me in the eye. “It’s perfectly natural to feel this way, Valaria,” he said soothingly. “The silver lining is that despite the overly rationalist way of thinking which had been forced upon you, you still managed to keep a part of you which is desperate for any sort of confirmation that there is more to this life than meets the eye.” He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing it gently. “It’s perfectly human to hope and despair at the same time.”

I sniffed my nose and tried very, very hard not to get lost in those pools of ruby and gold so similar to my own hair. “Th-thank you,” I stuttered. I smiled silly. “I bet this isn’t how you pictured our talk would go like, right?”

Jared laughed. “My dear Valaria, when it comes to any kind of discussion with you, nothing is ever how I picture it,” he said then he looked at me in a different way. “Which is only one of the many reasons why I do enjoy talking with you so much.”

_Why, life? Why you do this to me?_

Naturally, I could only stare at him with my lips slightly parted and my cheeks warm. But he was _so_ deliciously close! All I had to do was lean in and I knew everything would be better after that!

I had no idea if I was imagining it or not but I could have sworn Jared was looking at me with the exact same expression. However, he had a far better control than I did and he put on his usual, charming mask as he smiled reassuringly at me. He got up and walked over to his seat behind the desk.

“I do owe you one explanation which the castle really has no say in whatsoever,” he said matter-of-factly. I actually chuckled at that. “I suspected there was something special about you from the moment I first met you, all those long, long years ago. I had met children with unique, physical traits but never one with a trait identical to my own. I immediately took a liking to you.” He smiled softly, the memory of that meeting playing all over his face. “Especially your innocence. A child’s innocence is truly something miraculous. Of course you had me under your enchantment from the moment you looked up at me. That night, I went over the necessary spells I needed to cast in order to protect my establishment…” His smile widened. “Then I suddenly found myself back in my father’s castle only there was something different. A child was playing outside, in the garden. A beautiful little girl with hair a mixture of gold and ruby. She had small, white flowers in her hair and her laughter was the sweetest music I had ever heard.”

If I had been able to see myself in that moment, I would have burst out laughing at the look of pure and utter stupidity on my face. I was staring at Jared with my mouth all the way to the Earth’s core. As he had spoken, I could see everything in my mind’s eye crystal clear. Then his words unlocked a part of my memory I had completely forgotten about.

I remembered the dream I had had as a little girl. I was a princess, living inside a magic castle and playing all day long with brightly-colored fairies. _Oh, my God!_

“I…remember,” I heard myself say shaky.

“What?” Jared asked.

“I remember,” I repeated stronger. “The dream you’re talking about. I had it too.”

“You did?” he asked pleased. “I must say, I am surprised to hear that. I…” He didn’t continue and laughed. “Actually, it really shouldn’t surprise me. You were always special, of course it would manifest in early childhood. Though to be fair, I thought it had been _my_ dream,” he confessed like a spoiled brat.

I couldn’t help but laugh though I didn’t really find anything funny. It was more of a nervous laugh because that had been the last straw. _I think I’ve had enough answers for one day. Although there is one aspect I haven’t discussed with him yet._

“Do you really need my help with any project?” I asked.

It was Jared’s turn to laugh. “In truth, with many,” he said charmingly. “But I only said what I said to your parents in order to give you a valid reason for coming here.” He wanted to say more but stopped himself and smiled. “I think I’ve taken enough of your time for the day. Young Zanthe will no doubt want to fill your head with all of the splendid stories the residents and her new found friends have told her.”

“Is there anything that happens around here that you _don’t_ know about?”

“That is a tale for another time, my dear.”

Laughing, I rose to my feet. With a final nod goodbye, I left the room and searched for my best friend. It shouldn’t have surprised me that she was outside, on the terrace, with her head in her hands as she listened to the magical tales of Will, Chris, Merlin, Varius and her band of four winged children.

_I’m supposed to take her away from_ that?! _Why does the universe hate me?_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! ^.^
> 
> I promise, things will get much more interesting from the next chapter onward.


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